Social Monitor: Romanians among Europeans most dissatisfied with their lives

Romanian citizens are among the Europeans most dissatisfied with their lives, even compared to those in Eastern Europe, according to data from Eurobarometer 101 of 2024, included in an infographic by the Social Monitor.

Significantly over half, 62%, of Romanians said they were fully satisfied with their lives in 2024, while 38% reported being completely dissatisfied - the highest rate among EU countries.

By comparison, 90% or more of citizens in countries like Germany, Spain, Slovenia, or Sweden report being fully satisfied with their lives, while in neighboring Bulgaria, the proportion of those satisfied with life is lower (66% of the population).

Aside from being dissatisfied, Romanians also believe that things will not improve. Approximately one-third (31%) of Romanians expect their lives to worsen in 2025, significantly more than in any other EU country included in Eurobarometer 101. By comparison, less than 20% of citizens in Bulgaria, Spain, or Slovenia expect their lives to worsen in 2025. In Germany, the same figure stands at 23%.

The trend of Romanians’ distrust in their own future is also concerning, rising to 31% in 2024 from 24% in 2023.

The most important issues reported by Romanian citizens are related to rising prices and the country’s economic situation. Roughly 43% consider price dynamics to be the biggest problem, while 27% consider the economic situation to be an important national issue.

The problem of rising prices is considered significant by the majority of European citizens, with high rates recorded in Croatia (59%), Malta (58%), Bulgaria (48%), and Estonia (47%), while lower rates are found in Scandinavian countries.

Eurobarometer data also shows that the dissatisfaction rate increases with age. While only 26% of Romanians aged 18-44 declare themselves dissatisfied, this rate rises significantly in older categories: 35% dissatisfaction among those aged 45-54, 44% among those aged 55-65, and 55% among those over 65.

Similarly, those with primary education tend to be the most dissatisfied with their lives. 57% of those with less than eight years of schooling are dissatisfied, while only 22% of those with higher education are similarly unhappy. Almost 50% of Romanians in rural areas declare themselves dissatisfied with their lives, compared to 30% of Romanians in large cities.

Eurobarometer data confirm that citizen dissatisfaction correlates with critical opinions toward the EU. Almost two-thirds of Romanians who have a negative view of the European Union declare themselves deeply dissatisfied with their lives. Moreover, dissatisfaction with the EU’s actions regarding Ukraine also seems to be correlated, with most of those dissatisfied with the intervention generally being unsatisfied with their own lives in Romania.